GTC Celebrates Black History Month by presenting a “Conversation with Ambassador Andrew Young”

Greenville Technical College will celebrate Black History Month by presenting a special “Conversation with Ambassador Andrew Young” on Saturday, February 16. Fluor is the event sponsor and host, joining with the college to bring a meaningful conversation to the community about Young’s early days with the civil rights movement working alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his insight into how far we have come. He will also reflect on his experience as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and our country’s position on the global stage.

The event is designed to bring people together for meaningful dialogue, expand students’ perspectives as they prepare to enter the workforce, and provide the audience with the necessary tools to have respectful interactions with individuals who may be different than they are.

“We are excited and honored to have Ambassador Young, an iconic figure in the civil rights movement, to share his perspective on race relations in America and equally ecstatic to join with Fluor in an effort that we hope will enhance inclusiveness at the college, at the company, and in our community,” said Wendy Walden, associate vice president for executive affairs at Greenville Technical College. “We hope that the conversation we start with Ambassador Young can continue.”

“Fluor has partnered with Greenville Technical College over many years on efforts that build the workforce. We are pleased to come together with the college to ensure that students and employees have the knowledge and skills to engage with others effectively in an increasingly global and diverse workplace,” said Luke Hardaway, manager of human resources, business development and strategy at Fluor.

Andrew Young was born in New Orleans in 1932 and attended segregated schools there before graduating early from Howard University and attending Hartford Theological Seminary. While serving as a pastor in southern Georgia, he became active in the civil rights movement, working closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to organize voter registration drives and teach non-violent organizing strategies. He was a key strategist and negotiator during campaigns that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In 1972, Young was elected to Congress, becoming the first African-American representative from the Deep South since Reconstruction. In 1977, he was appointed as the nation’s first African-American Ambassador to the United Nations, serving as an architect of the first U.S. Africa policy grounded in human rights.

He went on to become the mayor of Atlanta in 1981 and was re-elected in 1985. In that capacity, he championed the development of Hartsfield International Airport, making it possible for Atlanta to attract new business, foreign investment, and jobs.

Today, he leads the Andrew J. Young Foundation’s efforts to develop and support new generations of visionary leaders who will create sustainable global approaches to economic development, poverty alleviation, and the challenge of hunger.